STEAKS CHOPS &

beef, a wonderful delicacy on the menu at bouchon and the Wine Cask, or favor “Natural” beef, a term that has no legal meaning though it generally implies that the steer was raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. But serve a well aged USDA Prime Angus seasoned with pepper and Kosher salt and grilled over red oak, and nobody will complain. The Hitching Post has become deservedly famous doing just that –well, they do have a special “Magic Dust” seasoning blend, and excellent Pinot Noir.

You can keep the sides simple: potatoes reign supreme, generally a choice of baked, mashed, or fried, with some fun variations: try the Lyonnaise at Sly’s in Carpinteria - sautéed in butter with thinly sliced onions and parsley, and the truffle parmesan French fries at Rodney’s. If you are limiting carbs, the rapini with garlic at Lucky’s are a good choice.

by Laurence Hauben

Steaks are luxurious because they are generally cut from the most tender and therefore the most expensive parts of the beef, beginning just behind the shoulder and heading toward the tail of the animal: from the rib area come prime rib and ribeye, from the loin the filet, T-bone, porterhouse, and New York strip; behind the loin comes the sirloin, flavorful but not as tender, so try to pick your sirloin steaks from as close to the loin as possible. There is much debate as to the merit of each cut. Filet is the most tender, reasonably portioned, and favored on the menu of many upscale dining rooms, but true steak lovers often prefer the rich flavor of ribeye, and swear that rib meat, whether you are talking beef, lamb, or pork, is the tastiest. If you can’t decide between New York strip and filet, order the imposing Porterhouse, which brings together the two cuts and is big enough for two. Ask a Brazilian, and he or she will swear by Picanha, the sirloin cap, covered with a thick layer of fat that melts deliciously into the meat as it grills on the churrasco. In the last few years, Americans have also discovered cuts they use to neglect: flank steak, hanger steak, and skirt steak, chewier meats but full of flavor, and less expensive even though their price has risen with their increasing popularity. You can try hanger steak at Le Petit Valentien in La Arcada, a deal at under $20. Grassfed is another trend, healthier for the environment, the cattle, and the diners, though still hard to find at local establishments, due in part to price, but also to limited availability, a leaner texture, and bolder flavor that will take folks raised on corn-fed meat some getting used to.

Grass-fed was the norm in France when I was growing up. Steaks were on the menu every Saturday for lunch, and always served with French fries. The meat was cut to order by our neighborhood butcher, generally in the “bavette,” a tasty small cut from the beef short loin. My mom made the best fries in the world. I helped her peel large potatoes of the Bintje variety that is the staple in Northern France and Belgium, and she cut them nice and thin, but not too skinny, just under three eighth of an inch thick. Then we rolled the potatoes in towels to thoroughly dry them before plunging them in hot beef tallow, which is not nearly as bad for you as trans-fat laden shortening, and a lot more flavorful. We had a special “friteuse,” a deep black kettle fitted with a wire basket whose handles were hinged to rest on the lip of the pot, so the basket could lift up to let the fat drain from the potatoes between the first bath, which cooked the fries, and the second one, which crisped them to perfection. In between, she quickly cooked the steaks in butter with minced shallots. A spoonful of mustard and splash of red wine finished the sauce. She had the timing down pat, never overcooking the meat nor letting the fries lag. A quick toss of salt on the hot fries, and we sat before our favorite meal of the week, the steak served “saignant” – on the bloody side of medium rare, running juices and sauce happily mopped with our French fries. God it was good! I can’t imagine how I ever swore it off.

Holdren’s Steakhouse

Since the day it opened, Holdren’s has been a major player in the Santa Barbara steakhouse scene. All of Holdren’s steaks are cut from Midwestern corn-fed beef, then aged to exact house specifications and charbroiled over a mesquite grill. Try the “Cowboy Cut” - Holdren’s Signature Steak - a 24 oz. prime bone-in rib chop served with spicy onion rings. Another favorite is the prime New York pepper steak topped with a brandy peppercorn reduction. All steaks are served with your choice of baked potato, twice baked, garlic mashed, fries, rice pilaf or mixed vegetables, and a side of sauce (rosemary bleu cheese, peppercorn, or bourbon). Holdren’s also feature a full bar with a broad menu of martinis and a wine list rivaled by few. Holdren’s is located in Old Town, 512 State Street. 805-965-3363.